Typewriter



Oct. 22, 1935. I H. ETHERIDGE 2,018,058

TYPEWRITER Filed Feb. 7, 1951 v.70 Yen Zon- )L/EEBEET [TI /81065 TTOENEXS Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TYPEWRITER Herbert Etheridge, Rodelheim, near Frankforton-the-Main, Germany, assignor to the firm Torpedo-Werke Aktien und Schreibmaschinen,

gesellschaft Fahrrader Rodelheim, near Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany Application February'l, 1931, Serial No. 514,079

' In Germany February 10, 1930 6 Claims. (01, 197-27) 5 the machine by means of a lever and link ar-' rangement. The invention .aims' more particularly at the construction of small or portable typewriters of this kind and, for this purpose, consists in the provision and arrangement of parts in a manner which will combine efliciency and reliability of operation with simplicity of construction, and which will also result in a very close assembly of parts as the fulfillment of one of the fundamental conditions for the construction of portable typewriters. Further "objects are moderate costs and low weight, which are further important features in the production of typewriters of the said kind.

According to the invention the keys and their 1 operating couples are arranged in close assembly within the fore part of the machine and so as to enable a free and unobstructed movement of the type levers. These latter, on their part, are Journaled in the segment block in such a manner asv will allow of the entire block being adjusted in respect of the platen, and thus avoid any adjustment of the latter or of the carriage supporting same. I

The keys of the typewriter are each guided by two links in a motion approximately'parallel to themselves; the lowermost links being connected at their rear ends with the type levers by means of drawbars which are all of the same length and which all are arranged to form the same angle with the horizontal. The inventio for the purposes specified, provides that progressively to both sides of the segment from the centre thereof, the distances from the connecting pivots of the said drawbars at the type lever endsto the turning pivots oi the drawbars themselves are arranged to increase in the same ratio as the distances from the drawbar connections at the link ends to the turning pivotsof the said links themselves, means being provided, to enable the proper guiding of the parts including the keys at the fore part of the machine.

In further accordance with the invention simple and eflicienr means are provided to support the type lever segment in respect of the platen, said means being in connection with the segment carrier which is shaped so as to simultaneously form a guide for the type levers when striking the platen.

These and other objects and improvements will now further be explained by reference to the accompanying drawing, illustrating one embodi- 1 ment of the invention by way'of example, and in which 'Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section throughthe machine. In this figure'all such parts of the 5 typewriter which are immaterial to the understanding of the invention have been omitted.

Fig. 2 illustrates in diagrammatic manner the proportions of the progressively increasing lever sizes and at the same time shows a plan view of the segment block and its connected parts.

Fig. 3 is a detail. v

The front wall of the typewriter is formed by a comb-shaped plate I in which the number of I slots 2 corresponds to the number of keys 3 ar- 5 ranged in front thereof and so as to be capable of approximately parallel motion by their connection to an upper and a lower link. The lower links 4 which, like the keys themselves, may be stamped out of sheet metal, are pivotally arranged upon a common shaft 5 and protrude with their forward ends through the slots 2 of the front plate, in which they are guided, as are also lateral arms 6 of the keys 3. In this simple manner both the keys 3 and the links 4 are secured against undesirable side movement. The lateral arms 6 of the keys are connected at the rear of the front wall I to the upper links 8 which are preferably made of wire and collectively arranged all on a bar I passing right through the frame of the machine.

Owing to the just described parallelogram suspension the keys, when being depressed, receive a slight forward motionas indicated in broken 'lines in Fig. 1, from which it will be seen, that the path of their movement approximates a portion of a. circle C, whose centre point X rests somewhere at or behind the back of the machine. An abutment or rest 9 at the inner side of the front plate I is adapted to limit the upward 40 movement of the keys 3 and to confine same in their uppermost positions.

A suitable pivotal connection between the keys 3 and the lower links 4 is shown in Fig. 3. The keys, at their lower ends, are embossed to form an eye In which serves as a pivot for the link 4; the pivotal connection of theparts is maintained by a circular rim on the eye Ill. The lower part of the key 3 is bent sideways sufllciently as to allow the link 4 coming to lie in the same plane with the key 3, which is necessary for an exact guidance of the parts inthe slots 2 of the front plate. The arrangement may, of course, be reversed and the key '3 pivoted around an eye em-. tossed in theextremity of link 4.

To the rear arms of the links 4 drawbars II are pivotally attached, which connect the links to the short arms I2 of the pertaining type levers l3. These, on their part, are pivoted in the slots 5 .of the segment block l4 which is capable of slight up and down movement.

' The links 4 as well as the type levers l3 are all alike in configuration and dimensions, with the I exception of their extensions 15 and I2 respecl tively which extend from the turning points of the said leversto the drawbars II.

from the centreof the segment I4 toward both sides thereof, these extensions increase in their size so that the ratio of the distances from their 15 connections with the drawbars H to their turn ing pivots remains the same in each case. In the form of an arithmetical proportion this may be expressed: 15:12::15'z12' (compare Fig. 2). It is possible, in this way, to make all the drawbars 20 ll of one and the same length, which is necessary in view of the vertically movable type lever segment block, and to arrange them all parallel to one another. v

The lower links 4 are placed under the action 25 of tension springs It for the return of the type levers l3. when the parts are at rest these springs take a position of such inclination to the turning points of the links 4, that the tension of the springs by depression of the keys is, at 30 first, very slight, but increases with continued downward movement of the keys. The machine, in this way, receives a very, light touch", while notwithstanding this fact the type levers, after striking the platen, are returned quickly and 5 under strong tension of their springs.

The segment block, to which the type levers l3 are pivotally attached, is carried in a supporting frame which is substantially cross-shaped, comprising horizontal arms "in, II, a downward- 40 1y extending arm l8 and upwardly extending arm IS. The two side arms lid and I! in conjunction with arm l8 form the support proper for the segment block, while the upper arm I9 is bent and slotted at its extremity in order to form a 45 guide for the type levers when striking the platen 20. A swing frame 22 is provided, having lugs 2| at its forward end in which the lateral extremities of the cross arms lGa, I! are pivotally received, while at its rear end the said frame 50 22 is journaled at 23 to the machine frame. To the lower end of the arm I8 is connected a link 24 which is rigidly attached to the shaft 25 and.

adapted to oscillate therewith. The segment carrying frame is thus supported in three-point-sus- 55 pension.

Rigid with the oscillating than 25, in additionto the link 24, are lateral abutment plates 28, to which the ends of the'pulling wires 21 from the "capitals mechanism are attached and which 60 are adapted to determine the upper and lower positions of the segment block and its supporting frame by contact with suitable abutment pins 28. For the purpose of carrying out small adjustments the pins 28 are mounted eccentrically in 65 screws. or bolts 29; turning ofthese screws moves the pins 28 higher or lower in the machine frame and thus regulates the extent of movement of the links 24. It is advisable to use the abutment pin on one side of the machine for the adjustment of 70 the upper position and that on the other side for the adjustment of the lower position of the segment supporting frame and the segment I 4. A tension spring 3| which is suspended between the back wall of the machine and a spring hook or 7 bolt 30 on the shaft 25 is adapted to return the When seen segment and its supporting frame into their upper normal position after each operation. Owing to the transmission of the lateral pull on the abutment plates 28 to the central link 24, an exact and always straight movement of the seg- 5 ment-supporting frame and, therewith, of the type lever carrying segment block is assured, whether the "capitals mechanism on the one or the other side of the machine-has been operated.

The segment block l4 together with its upper slanted portion is attached to the cross arms lie, I! by means-of two screws 32. Immediately below the arms Ilia, ll another, centrally arranged screw 33 is provided. Owing to the attachment at itsslanted surface, the segment block stands at an angle with its lower part to the lower arm It of the supporting frame, which angle is rendered adjustable by the provision of a set screw 34 in the arm I8, which is adapted to take into a corresponding depression 36 in the back of the segment block I4. By turning the set screw 34 the angle of the segment block with the supporting arm may be varied and thereby the position of the segment adjusted so that the type levers I3 will always strike the platen 20 at the correct 2-5 place. Thus, in distinction from other arrangements, the invention provides that only the segment block need be adjusted in order to properly align the types, and no other means such as are usually required for the adjustment of the platen 20, the carriage 35, or the segment supporting frame Ilia-49 are rendered necessary.

What I claim'is:

1. A typewriter comprising a plurality of type levers, a slanting segment block supporting said levers, a plurality of keys, a link connection between the keys and the type levers, a cross-shaped segment supporting frame, said frame comprising side arms and upper and lower arms, means to secure said segment block to said side and 40 lower arms, and a set screw carried by the lower army and adapted to vary the angle between the segment block and said lower arm.

2. A typewriter comprising a plurality of type levers, a slanting segment block supporting said levers, a plurality of keys, a link connection between the keys and the type levers, a cross-shaped segment supporting frame, said frame comprising side arms and upper and lower arms, means to secure said segment block to the side and lower arms of said supporting frame, a set screw in the lower arm and. bearing against a portion of the segment block, and a slotted and bent-ofl portion at. the end of the upper arm of said segment supporting frame serving as a guide for the type levers.

3. A typewriter comprising in combination with 'keys and type levers, links in connection with the upper part of the keys and links in connection with the lower part of the keys, a fixed pivot for the lower links, an extension to each of said links, a type lever supporting segment, a pivot carried by said segment type levers being turn'ably mounted on said pivot, extension arms on said type levers, drawbars between said link extensi'cns and said type lever extension arms, said drawbars being all'of same length and of same inclination to the horizontal, the progressively increasing sizes of the link extensions and the type lever extension having a ratio which is the 7 same with respect to said extensions in each link motion mechanism, a cross-shaped segment supporting frame, said frame having a plurality of arms, means to fix a portion of said segment to the arms of said cross-shaped supporting frame,

means to vary the angle between said supporting frame and the segment, and means to impart a limited up and down movement to said supporting frame and the segment block.

4. A typewriter, comprising a plurality of type levers, a segment block, pivots within said block for carrying said levers, a plurality of keys, each of said keys being provided'with an extension arm, a frame, a bar carried by said frame, upper links carried by said bar and connected with said extension arms, lower links having ends connected with said keys, means for pivotally supporting said lower links intermediate their ends, a plurality of parallel drawbars connected with the opposite ends of said lower links, said drawbars being of equal length, and arms forming a part of said type levers and connected with said drawbars, the distances from the connecting points of said drawbars with said type lever arms to the pivots of said type levers varying in the same ratio as the distances from the connecting points of said drawbars with said links to the supporting pivots of said links.

5. A typewriter, comprising a plurality of type levers, a segment block, pivots within said block for carrying said levers, a plurality of keys, each of said keys being provided with an extension arm, a; frame, a bar carried by said frame, upper links carried by said bar and connected with said extension arms, lower links having ends connected with said keys, means for pivotally supporting said lower links intermediate their ends, a plurality of parallel drawbars connected with the opposite ends of said lower links, said drawbars being of equallength, arms forming a part of said type levers, and connected with said drawbars, the distances from the connecting points of said drawbars with said type lever arms to the pivots of said type levers varying in the same ratio as the distances from the connecting points of said drawbars with said links to the supporting pivots of said links, and a front comb connected with said frame and having slots receiving said upper links and said lower links.

6. A typewriter, comprising a plurality of type levers, a segment block supporting said levers, a plurality of keys, a link connection between said keys and said type levers, a machine frame, a rigid segment supporting frame made of one piece and movable with respect to said machine frame, means connecting said machine frame with said segment supporting frame, means connecting said segment block with said segment supporting frame, said segment block being supported solely by said segment supporting frame and maintaining its position to said segment supporting frame during the shifting movement thereof, and means associated with the segment block and the segment supporting frame enabling adjustment of the segment block in respect to the segment frame transverse to the direction of the shifting movement.

HERBERT ETHERIDGE. 

